Best of Best

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Your final project for RELG 2401 involves doing a short presentation on the media coverage of ONE religious issue along with a written summary.

This week, choose one ongoing, specific religious topic and then analyze how it has been portrayed in the media. The portrayal can either be in the news media or the entertainment (TV/film/publishing) media.

· Create a PowerPoint based on your discoveries and analysis. Upload your PowerPoint to present.me and then create a video of your slides with your narration.

· Create a Screenr of your conclusions (screenr records your voice and your screen while you narrate what is on your screen, and then converts it to a weblink). Post the link.

· Create a glog on Glogster (an online poster-making site) where you can post a visual representation of your analysis.

The analysis should include:

· Some quantitative data of the coverage

· Specific examples

· Critique of the coverage

· Analysis of the reporters/writers/producers

Religious issue

Islam in the headlines

The plan by some Islamic faithful to build a mosque and an Islamic center near the scene of World Trade center attack culminated to a heated debate, and still is, on the morality of building such a center in that place. The controversies were covered more in the media and accounted for around 25 % of religion-related coverage in 2010. The controversies are still going on especially in the period nearing September, the commemoration of the attacks.

Organizers and Imam Feisal Abdul presented their plan to the relevant authorities and were granted approval to build the mosque, eliciting major debate over the issue internationally. Bloggers and commentators criticized the plan due to the proximity of the site which was formerly World Trade Center. The debate on whether or not it’s ideal to build a mosque in close proximity to the site of World Trade Center attack has grown from being a local discussion to an international issue. It has prompted protests in US and drawn responses from even main political leaders.

Proponents to the project argue that the Muslim Community Center will be beneficial to the local economy and the neighborhood and the construction would show American tolerance to religion. Opponents to the project argue that the project is a disrespectful and insensitive political ploy by the radical Islamists which will inflict more emotional distress on the families that suffered casualties in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.

The coverage was very intense on television and radio talk shows that were ideologically driven. Conservative commentators decry the project as an affront to those who suffered in the 9/11 attacks while the liberal commentators depicted the reaction as contrary to the American culture on religious freedom.

A conservative host at Fox News Program, Sean Hannity, discussed the issue more in his program. He at one time played Obamas clip addressing some Muslims that had gathered at White House in August 2012 that he fully supported the idea of developers to build a mosque and an Islamic Center. He also played another clip later where Obama had responded to the clip where he depicted that he wasn’t supporting the wisdom of the whole project.

A liberal host at MSNBC, Keith Olbermann, focused the controversy in his program. He depicted the reaction of the project a fake hysteria and the danger of intolerance. He reminded the viewers that the project would be some few blocks away from the ground zero. Olbermann played clips of leaders who were against the project and he at times added his commentary and at times depicted that the president had gotten the whole idea wrong on fact and principle and that he was out of touch.

The public are more aware of the project and has become an international debate regarding the tolerance of Islam and Muslim and the freedom of religion. The debate over the Islamic center and mosque usually return to the headlines in the months approaching the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.